the new normal

Back in the day I was one of those demon bloggers who spent every waking minute reading about my blog friends' lives vicariously and involving them with mine.  The trail stretched all across the world, though I only met one of 'em in person.  If you remember Old Horsetail Snake, you know THAT story, god rest his soul.  One year he sent me an electric sander to finish up my kitchen remodeling job!  That was after I sent his ailing wife a UT bracelet and him some cookies to the nursing home where they lived.  After her death, he moved out and began living his life again in earnest.  It was then that I learned that people really DO care and want to reach out to others.  Unless you're a sociopath or terribly spoiled, it's human nature to want to help.

Now that my daily routine includes a sort of 24 hour call schedule for my parents, I don't find the time to write much other than a recap of the occasional peak or valley.  It happened while I wasn't looking, beginning with their multiple car accidents and various trips and falls.  And macular degeneration + fronto-temporal dementia.  It's a very difficult combination of disabilities, and proves sometimes to be a challenge for the caregivers.  But hey...we try to maintain.  The alternative isn't something that they're willing to go for right now.

There's an unspoken turf war going on here on the lane between a newcomer who asked permission to pick up pecans and the old faithful man who has been here every day for two months.  I explained that to new guy and asked him to respect his elder.  I noticed them out in the road chatting with each other yesterday so it's all good.  It's amazing what memories people in the south have of pecan season.  My grandfather owned several farms with trees and I remember going there as a kid to pick up.  Oh yeah....there was a little kid in the mix yesterday too, riding a four wheeler with his grandpa.   That was after the worst of the fog moved out and before it slithered back in for an encore.  I was at the beauty shop the other day and the young very feminine guy at the register hollered at his pregnant as a goose co-worker when she left in the rain: "Be careful!  Watch out for deer and drunk drivers!"  Only in the south, ya'll.  Only in the south.

I entered three photographs in the local photography contest here and they are now displayed with the hundred others at the community college for voting by the public.  I'm assuming there are no names or anything so that you judge the picture by how you like it rather than who took it.  No bias and all that.  We shall see.  I'm sure the propane guy would appreciate payment before I run completely out so the money would help with that or maybe the car insurance.  At this point, it really doesn't matter.  Come and get me, I say.  But if you put me in jail???  There goes my earning potential so you're screwing yourself.  Think about it.

Like everyone else, I'm making a list and checking it twice for Thanksgiving.  My parents and I went to the store after breakfast today and picked up a few things for our feast.  It will be an odd assortment of family and friends and that's exactly how I like it.  We might even hop on the gator and visit the neighbors.

Ya'll eat 'til you can't hold anymore.  It's the time of the year you can smooth get away with it.

^j^